Kershaw whiplash? any thoughts?

blademaker said:
Although this thread seems to be going down a new path of holes. . . Here's something that my dad wrote up today. . .We both are looking forward to some reviews from people that have had a chance handle the knife.

"Hi folks,
Grant Hawk here, I'm the guilty party responsible for the design of the Whiplash fixed blade. I've been reviewing the various comments regarding the Whiplash and especially the apparent weakness of the narrow tang section at the finger groove. I have to agree that a full tang knife will have a higher ultimate breaking strength than that of a narrow tang knife. Narrow tang knives, such as those fighting knife designs, that were in common use during World War II are not new, so we do have some history to draw from. I don't know what percentage of those knives came home from that war with broken handles, but whatever that percentage is, the same percentage probably applies to the Whiplash as well. The narrow tang knives of that era were not made stronger by a handle covering of stacked leather washers, but because the narrow tang couldn't be seen it was probably less of an issue.
The first objective of the Whiplash design was to provide for a simple, quick and easy method of storing the lanyard when the knife is in the sheath or the lanyard is otherwise not needed. Lanyards are sometimes very important. Such as when working over water or high above the ground, other times, when dangling from the handle of the sheathed knife they can be a major hassle. The Whiplash design is intended to resolve that dilemma for the user who often finds a lanyard useful but more often finds it objectionable. As to the unusually deep grooves of the thumb rest, the thinking was that by extending the reach of the grooves along the plane of the blades' flat side, some additional purchase and therefore some additional control, would be available to the thumb when in contact with the flat. That feature would only be most useful in those cases where precision control is important.
I never expected the overall look of the Whiplash to inspire such a level of controversy. I just hope the mall ninjas come out of this alive."

Gavin
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Thanks for the explanation. Kershaw should really mention this on their online catalog page. It's always nice to know the philosophy behind an unusual design, and this blurb makes for excellent marketing material.
 
I find all this quite interesting...never have I read through a thread where there was such interest in the quality and performance of a $35 import fixed blade. Granted there have been just a few participants posting within the thread, but sheesh, you'd think we were talking about a knife that was here to take the top of the hill from Busse.
 
Thomas W said:
I find all this quite interesting...never have I read through a thread where there was such interest in the quality and performance of a $35 import fixed blade. Granted there have been just a few participants posting within the thread, but sheesh, you'd think we were talking about a knife that was here to take the top of the hill from Busse.
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Now that you mention it, it does seem rather absurd, doesn't it? Maybe a $35 knife is just as good as the most expensive Busse, at least when it comes to entertainment value.
 
hardheart said:
What do you guys think about these for comparison, other suggestions in the price range welcome.

http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/mantis/images/mf4hcsg.jpg
http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/mantis/images/MNTTA2.jpg
http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/coldsteel/images/CS49HK.jpg
http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/coldsteel/images/39fn.jpg
http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/crk/images/2385.jpg
http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/kbar/images/1482.jpg
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I think http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/mantis/images/mf4hcsg.jpg is the most similar looking, my concern is that several of the other knives are much smaller then the Whiplash. If this is a pure "bend it till it breaks" exercise it shouldn't matter though.

Are you measuring vertical or horizontal force? Vertical would be my wish.
 
I could do either. I would expect to encounter lateral more often for light prying, but vertical is doable.
 
hardheart said:
I could do either. I would expect to encounter lateral more often for light prying, but vertical is doable.
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For me I would encounter more batoning then light prying. I guess it depends on how many intact ones you get.

Don't forget, if they've been used it completely invalidates any testing. Microfractures, prestressing the knife, etc, etc, etc. :rolleyes:
 
hardheart said:
I could do either. I would expect to encounter lateral more often for light prying, but vertical is doable.
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hh, I would think vertical would best represent the forces that most knives would encounter (as in batoning, cutting something super tough, etc.).
 
I promised myself that I wouldn't post in this thread anymore, but I really feel the need to point this out






dawsonbob said:
The entire knife is the weak spot: the thinness of the tang just happens to be the weakest spot. It looks like a knife made by Mattel for 13 year old mall ninjas ... at best.
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dawsonbob said:
I wouldn't worry about the Whiplash failing me in any circumstances, because I wouldn't carry it under any circumstances. I choose dependable tools. It is my opinion that the Whiplash isn't a dependable tool. For you, it may be great, and I wish you all the best.
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Attitude before this quote, dawsonbob wouldn't carry this knife under any circumstances. Then Thomas says this.

Thomas W said:
Easy now fellas, it's just a knife... Heck Tony PM me a shipping addy and I'll send you one for review. :)
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Listen to the tin cup rattle. Out comes the new attitude all sweetness and light

dawsonbob said:
Just to be fair about it -- since I've been one of the most vociferous detractors of this design -- I would be willing to do a review of this knife, too. I have condemned it for what I see as major flaws, but, admittedly, I've never used it.

If you want to send me one for testing, I would give it the fairest review that I could. Could I be fair? Yes, I think I could. I'm in my mid sixties, and have been using knives since I was about eight. My early training was as a mechanical engineer (BSME -- though I never practiced). I would look at this knife for:

1.) what the blade has to offer (shape, edge holding, toughness, etc.).

2.) ergonomics.

3.) features.

4.) overall usability.

5.) overall strength.

That's the best I can offer: a chance to prove me wrong on my initial assessment. It would be easy to get a glowing report from the fanboys, but what about from those of us who have panned the design? That would be valuable information, too.

I don't really expect to be sent one of these for testing, but it was only fair to offer.
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dawsonbob said:
Now that you mention it, it does seem rather absurd, doesn't it? Maybe a $35 knife is just as good as the most expensive Busse, at least when it comes to entertainment value.
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I think I am going to go to start some threads about knives I never handled, and try to drum some stuff up for the old knife collection.
 
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Thanks Hunter for pointing that out. It's funny the way you outlined the attitude. It goes from a "never will I bother with that knife" to "I'd love to have one to test." Everybody wants a piece of the pie...
 
A_Blade_Afficionado said:
Thanks Hunter for pointing that out. It's funny the way you outlined the attitude. It goes from a "never will I bother with that knife" to "I'd love to have one to test." Everybody wants a piece of the pie...
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Ohhhh me! I'll give you a completely fair and unbiased review. :rolleyes:

I'll read the reviews, and if I ever stumble across it in a store I might handle it, but besides the design it's just not really my thing.
 
A_Blade_Afficionado said:
Thanks Hunter for pointing that out. It's funny the way you outlined the attitude. It goes from a "never will I bother with that knife" to "I'd love to have one to test." Everybody wants a piece of the pie...
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Freebies Rule man didn't you know? Oh well I found my first people for my ignore list.
 
I think you guys misunderstand. This still isn't a knife that I would depend on. Not until it proves itself to be stronger than I think it is. On the other hand, people pointed out to me that I shouldn't bad mouth the knife if I haven't tried it. That certainly seems fair to me, so I'm willing to give it a try, and write an honest review. It would be rather hypocritical of me to do otherwise. Once I've tested the knife and written a review, I'll send the knife back to hardheart. I had to agree with those who called me on bad mouthing a knife I hadn't used, so I'm trying to do the right thing. It's just simple decency.
 
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